Howard A. Stone

Associated Faculty, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Contact
hastone@princeton.edu 609-258-9493
Engineering Quadrangle, D326
Research Area
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural BiologyResearch Focus
Fluid dynamics of "complex fluids"My group does research in fluid dynamics of "complex fluids", which refers to fluid systems that contain suspended objects (e.g. cells, droplets) that modify the flow. We interact broadly with other researchers in engineering, physics, chemistry and biology. In recent years my group has worked on several problems involving (I) flow and bacteria and (II) flow and biofilms, as well as various problems involving (III) flow of red bloods cells and (IV) some problems involving chemical signaling of mammalian cells. As part of these studies we have developed expertise with these systems and have forged excellent collaborations with leading labs in molecular biology. For example, in our research we have documented the formation of biofilm streamers in laminar flows, identified shear-enhanced adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) to surfaces, and the upstream migration of PA when the bacteria is attached to surfaces and exposed to flow. We have also worked on a variety of problems involving mammalian cells, including their response to chemical signals and how the response is influenced by the mechanical properties of the surrounding materials and/or substrate. In all of these studies we have used the toolboxes of microfluidics and microscopy to develop experimental tools appropriate to the questions under study.
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Three-Dimensional Self-Similarity of Coalescing Viscous Drops in the Thin-Film Regime. Phys Rev Lett. 2022 ;129(14):144501. .
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Capillary forces generated by biomolecular condensates. Nature. 2022 ;609(7926):255-264. .
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Sliding droplets as the chemical version for identifying the number and type of needles in a haystack. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 ;119(48):e2216900119. .
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From dynamic self-organization to avalanching instabilities in soft-granular threads. Soft Matter. 2022 ;18(9):1801-1818. .
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The effects of surface hydration on capillary adhesion under nanoscale confinement. Soft Matter. 2022 ;18(25):4786-4791. .
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Spongy all-in-liquid materials by in-situ formation of emulsions at oil-water interfaces. Nat Commun. 2022 ;13(1):4162. .
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Shear-induced migration of confined flexible fibers. Soft Matter. 2022 ;18(3):514-525. .
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The effect of rigid cells on blood viscosity: linking rheology and sickle cell anemia. Soft Matter. 2022 ;18(3):554-565. .
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Hydrodynamically induced helical particle drift due to patterned surfaces. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 ;119(31):e2202082119. .
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Introduction: Microfluidics. Chem Rev. 2022 ;122(7):6919-6920. .
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Evidence for biosurfactant-induced flow in corners and bacterial spreading in unsaturated porous media. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 ;118(38). .
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Membrane science emerging as a convergent scientific field with molecular origins and understanding, and global impact. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 ;118(37). .
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Metal-catalyst-free gas-phase synthesis of long-chain hydrocarbons. Nat Commun. 2021 ;12(1):5937. .
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Hierarchical transitions and fractal wrinkling drive bacterial pellicle morphogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 ;118(20). .
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Microswimmers near corrugated, periodic surfaces. Soft Matter. 2021 ;17(12):3322-3332. .
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CO-Driven diffusiophoresis for maintaining a bacteria-free surface. Soft Matter. 2021 ;17(9):2568-2576. .
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Confinement size determines the architecture of Ran-induced microtubule networks. Soft Matter. 2021 ;17(24):5921-5931. .
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Hydraulic transmissivity inferred from ice-sheet relaxation following Greenland supraglacial lake drainages. Nat Commun. 2021 ;12(1):3955. .
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Low-Reynolds-number, biflagellated Quincke swimmers with multiple forms of motion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 ;118(29). .
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Evaporation of Binary-Mixture Liquid Droplets: The Formation of Picoliter Pancakelike Shapes. Phys Rev Lett. 2021 ;127(2):024501. .
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4D imaging reveals mechanisms of clay-carbon protection and release. Nat Commun. 2021 ;12(1):622. .
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Plasmodesmata and the problems with size: Interpreting the confusion. J Plant Physiol. 2021 ;257:153341. .
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A geometric criterion for the optimal spreading of active polymers in porous media. Nat Commun. 2021 ;12(1):7088. .
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Chemically Triggered Coalescence and Reactivity of Droplet Fibers. J Am Chem Soc. 2021 ;143(14):5558-5564. .
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Electrostatic wrapping of a microfiber around a curved particle. Soft Matter. 2021 ;17(13):3609-3618. .
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A hydrodynamic instability drives protein droplet formation on microtubules to nucleate branches. Nat Phys. 2021 ;17(4):493-498. .
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Ionic Layering and Overcharging in Electrical Double Layers in a Poisson-Boltzmann Model. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(18):188004. .
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CO-leakage-driven diffusiophoresis causes spontaneous accumulation of charged materials in channel flow. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 ;117(42):25985-25990. .
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Phase synchronization of fluid-fluid interfaces as hydrodynamically coupled oscillators. Nat Commun. 2020 ;11(1):5221. .
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Speech can produce jet-like transport relevant to asymptomatic spreading of virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 ;117(41):25237-25245. .
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Symmetrization of Thin Freestanding Liquid Films via a Capillary-Driven Flow. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;124(18):184502. .
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Influence of Salt on the Viscosity of Polyelectrolyte Solutions. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;124(17):177801. .
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Diffusiophoresis in Multivalent Electrolytes. Langmuir. 2020 ;36(25):7014-7020. .
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Stability of force-driven shear flows in nonequilibrium molecular simulations with periodic boundaries. J Chem Phys. 2020 ;152(21):214113. .
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Formation, Rupture, and Healing of an Annular Viscous Film. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;124(22):224501. .
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Ions in an AC Electric Field: Strong Long-Range Repulsion between Oppositely Charged Surfaces. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(5):056001. .
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Silver-Based Self-Powered pH-Sensitive Pump and Sensor. Langmuir. 2020 ;36(27):7948-7955. .
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Cell position fates and collective fountain flow in bacterial biofilms revealed by light-sheet microscopy. Science. 2020 ;369(6499):71-77. .
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Flexible fibers in shear flow approach attracting periodic solutions. Phys Rev E. 2020 ;101(2-1):023104. .
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Regime Map and Triple Point in Selective Withdrawal. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(26):264502. .
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Diffusiophoresis: from dilute to concentrated electrolytes. Soft Matter. 2020 ;16(30):6975-6984. .
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Charging Dynamics of Overlapping Double Layers in a Cylindrical Nanopore. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(7):076001. .
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A new wrinkle on liquid sheets: Turning the mechanism of viscous bubble collapse upside down. Science. 2020 ;369(6504):685-688. .
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Self-Similar Draining near a Vertical Edge. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(6):064502. .
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Self-Propelled Supracolloidal Fibers from Multifunctional Polymer Surfactants and Droplets. Macromol Rapid Commun. 2020 ;41(15):e2000334. .
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Rotation of a submerged finite cylinder moving down a soft incline. Soft Matter. 2020 ;16(16):4000-4007. .
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Nonuniform growth and surface friction determine bacterial biofilm morphology on soft substrates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 ;117(14):7622-7632. .
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Quantifying Dynamics in Phase-Separated Condensates Using Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching. Biophys J. 2019 ;117(7):1285-1300. .
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A quantitative study of the effect of flow on the photopolymerization of fibers. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(46):9553-9564. .
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Rapid Spreading of a Droplet on a Thin Soap Film. Langmuir. 2019 ;35(46):14855-14860. .
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Particle entrainment in dead-end pores by diffusiophoresis. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(19):3879-3885. .
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Spatiotemporal organization of branched microtubule networks. Elife. 2019 ;8. .
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Restoring universality to the pinch-off of a bubble. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 ;116(28):13780-13784. .
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Representative subsampling of sedimenting blood. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci. 2019 ;475(2227):20190223. .
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Design of a microfluidic device for the measurement of the elastic modulus of deformable particles. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(5):880-889. .
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Characterization of surface-solute interactions by diffusioosmosis. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(7):1582-1596. .
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Diffusion of multiple electrolytes cannot be treated independently: model predictions with experimental validation. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(48):9965-9973. .
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Microfluidic-based transcriptomics reveal force-independent bacterial rheosensing. Nat Microbiol. 2019 ;4(8):1274-1281. .
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Identification of a Molecular Latch that Regulates Staphylococcal Virulence. Cell Chem Biol. 2019 ;26(4):548-558.e4. .
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Verticalization of bacterial biofilms. Nat Phys. 2018 ;14(9):954-960. .
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Bacterial Biofilm Material Properties Enable Removal and Transfer by Capillary Peeling. Adv Mater. 2018 ;30(46):e1804153. .
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Dynamic switching enables efficient bacterial colonization in flow. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(21):5438-5443. .
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Flow-induced phase separation of active particles is controlled by boundary conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(21):5403-5408. .
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Suppressing viscous fingering in structured porous media. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(19):4833-4838. .
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Dynamic regimes of electrified liquid filaments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(24):6159-6164. .
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Viscoplastic Matrix Materials for Embedded 3D Printing. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2018 ;10(27):23353-23361. .
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Impulsively Induced Jets from Viscoelastic Films for High-Resolution Printing. Phys Rev Lett. 2018 ;120(7):074501. .
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Cell Membranes Resist Flow. Cell. 2018 ;175(7):1769-1779.e13. .
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Foam-driven fracture. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(32):8082-8086. .
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Invisible Anchors Trap Particles in Branching Junctions. Phys Rev Lett. 2018 ;121(5):054502. .
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Water-Based Peeling of Thin Hydrophobic Films. Phys Rev Lett. 2017 ;119(15):154502. .
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Flow-induced gelation of microfiber suspensions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 ;114(41):E8557-E8564. .
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Extended lubrication theory: improved estimates of flow in channels with variable geometry. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci. 2017 ;473(2206):20170234. .
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Surface-attached molecules control Staphylococcus aureus quorum sensing and biofilm development. Nat Microbiol. 2017 ;2:17080. .
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Membraneless water filtration using CO. Nat Commun. 2017 ;8:15181. .
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Wind-Driven Formation of Ice Bridges in Straits. Phys Rev Lett. 2017 ;118(12):128701. .
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Failure mechanisms of air entrainment in drop impact on lubricated surfaces. Soft Matter. 2017 ;13(12):2402-2409. .
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Sinking a Granular Raft. Phys Rev Lett. 2017 ;118(10):108001. .
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Calcium oscillations in wounded fibroblast monolayers are spatially regulated through substrate mechanics. Phys Biol. 2017 ;14(4):045006. .
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Protocol to perform pressurized blister tests on thin elastic films. Eur Phys J E Soft Matter. 2017 ;40(6):64. .
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Effect of Hydrodynamic Interactions on Reaction Rates in Membranes. Biophys J. 2017 ;113(2):440-447. .
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Force generation by groups of migrating bacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 ;114(28):7266-7271. .
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Farming and public goods production in populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 ;114(9):2289-2294. .
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Correction: The magnitude of lift forces acting on drops and bubbles in liquids flowing inside microchannels. Lab Chip. 2017 ;17(5):961. .
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Coffee-stain growth dynamics on dry and wet surfaces. J Phys Condens Matter. 2017 ;29(7):074001. .
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Bubble-Driven Detachment of Bacteria from Confined Microgeometries. Environ Sci Technol. 2017 ;51(3):1340-1347. .
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Laboratory layered latte. Nat Commun. 2017 ;8(1):1960. .
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Diffusiophoresis in one-dimensional solute gradients. Soft Matter. 2017 ;13(47):9015-9023. .
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Microfluidic chest cavities reveal that transmural pressure controls the rate of lung development. Development. 2017 ;144(23):4328-4335. .
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Motion of a Free-Settling Spherical Particle Driven by a Laser-Induced Bubble. Phys Rev Lett. 2017 ;119(8):084501. .
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Extracellular-matrix-mediated osmotic pressure drives Vibrio cholerae biofilm expansion and cheater exclusion. Nat Commun. 2017 ;8(1):327. .
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Spatial gene drives and pushed genetic waves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 ;114(32):8452-8457. .
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Diffusiophoretic manipulation of particles in a drop deposited on a hydrogel. Soft Matter. 2017 ;13(30):5122-5129. .
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Low-Cost Zeta Potentiometry Using Solute Gradients. Adv Mater. 2017 ;29(30). .
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Armoring confined bubbles in the flow of colloidal suspensions. Soft Matter. 2017 ;13(15):2857-2865. .
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Vibrio cholerae biofilm growth program and architecture revealed by single-cell live imaging. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 ;113(36):E5337-43. .
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Capillary Leveling of Freestanding Liquid Nanofilms. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;117(16):167801. .
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Fluid-driven cracks in an elastic matrix in the toughness-dominated limit. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2016 ;374(2078). .
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Biophysical characterization of organelle-based RNA/protein liquid phases using microfluidics. Soft Matter. 2016 ;12(45):9142-9150. .
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Controlled Uniform Coating from the Interplay of Marangoni Flows and Surface-Adsorbed Macromolecules. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;116(12):124501. .
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Role of the Membrane for Mechanosensing by Tethered Channels. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;116(25):258101. .
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Effect of the Polydispersity of a Colloidal Drop on Drying Induced Stress as Measured by the Buckling of a Floating Sheet. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;116(23):238001. .
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Tuning the Receding Contact Angle on Hydrogels by Addition of Particles. Langmuir. 2016 ;32(22):5573-9. .
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Negative Pressures and Spallation in Water Drops Subjected to Nanosecond Shock Waves. J Phys Chem Lett. 2016 ;7(11):2055-62. .
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A Scalable Platform for Functional Nanomaterials via Bubble-Bursting. Adv Mater. 2016 ;28(21):4047-52. .
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Size-dependent control of colloid transport via solute gradients in dead-end channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 ;113(2):257-61. .
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Local and global consequences of flow on bacterial quorum sensing. Nat Microbiol. 2016 ;1:15005. .
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Elastic Relaxation of Fluid-Driven Cracks and the Resulting Backflow. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;117(26):268001. .
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Drop morphologies on flexible fibers: influence of elastocapillary effects. Soft Matter. 2016 ;13(1):134-140. .
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Shape Transformations of Lipid Bilayers Following Rapid Cholesterol Uptake. Biophys J. 2016 ;111(12):2651-2657. .
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Surfactant- and Aqueous-Foam-Driven Oil Extraction from Micropatterned Surfaces. Langmuir. 2016 ;32(49):13149-13158. .
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Liquid Imbibition in Ceramic-Coated Carbon Nanotube Films. Langmuir. 2016 ;32(48):12686-12692. .
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The dynamics of interacting folds under biaxial compressive stresses. Soft Matter. 2016 ;12(15):3502-6. .
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Architectural transitions in Vibrio cholerae biofilms at single-cell resolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 ;113(14):E2066-72. .
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Controlling Viscous Fingering Using Time-Dependent Strategies. Phys Rev Lett. 2015 ;115(17):174501. .
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Deposition of Quantum Dots in a Capillary Tube. Langmuir. 2015 ;31(45):12560-6. .
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Optimization of Pathogen Capture in Flowing Fluids with Magnetic Nanoparticles. Small. 2015 ;11(42):5657-66. .
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Reactive Magnetospinning of Nano- and Microfibers. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2015 ;54(46):13613-6. .
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Touch- and Brush-Spinning of Nanofibers. Adv Mater. 2015 ;27(41):6526-32. .
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The mechanical world of bacteria. Cell. 2015 ;161(5):988-997. .
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Colonization, competition, and dispersal of pathogens in fluid flow networks. Curr Biol. 2015 ;25(9):1201-7. .
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Type IV pili mechanochemically regulate virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 ;112(24):7563-8. .
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Flow-Driven Rapid Vesicle Fusion via Vortex Trapping. Langmuir. 2015 ;31(26):7178-82. .
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Mechanics regulates ATP-stimulated collective calcium response in fibroblast cells. J R Soc Interface. 2015 ;12(108):20150140. .
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Two-ply channels for faster wicking in paper-based microfluidic devices. Lab Chip. 2015 ;15(23):4461-6. .
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Filaments in curved streamlines: Rapid formation of biofilm streamers. New J Phys. 2014 ;16(6):065024. .
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Solutions to the public goods dilemma in bacterial biofilms. Curr Biol. 2014 ;24(1):50-55. .
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Biofilm streamers cause catastrophic disruption of flow with consequences for environmental and medical systems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 ;110(11):4345-50. .